Mold
Guidelines for New Jersey Residents
Understanding Mold Investigations & Remediation
• What Services Should I Ask For?
• What Are Important Inspection Procedures?
• Is Mold Sampling Helpful?
• What Information Should Be Provided From a Mold Inspection and
Remediation?
4/12/13 Revision 0
Mold Guidelines for New Jersey Residents
NJ Department of Health
Consumer, Environmental and Occupational
Health Service
Environmental and Occupational Health
Assessment Program
P.O. Box 369
Trenton, NJ 08625-0369
Phone: 609-826-4950
Fax: 609-826-4975
Website: www.nj.gov/health/iep
Mold Guidelines for New Jersey Residents
Table of Contents
Purpose ...................................................................................... 1
Definition of Mold .................................................................. 1
How Molds Grow ................................................................... 1
Appearance of Mold................................................................ 2
Understanding Molds .............................................................. 2
Health Concerns...................................................................... 3
Assessing Risks ......................................................................... 4
Identifying Mold ........................................................................ 4
Basic Tips for Hiring a Consultant or Remediation
Contractor ............................................................................ 5
Services to Ask For ................................................................. 6
Why is a Thorough Visual Inspection and Assessment
Necessary ............................................................................. 7
Correcting a Water Intrusion Problem and Developing
a Mold Remediation Plan .................................................. 7
When is Mold Sampling Necessary ..................................... 8
Sampling Plans ......................................................................... 9
Information Which Should be Provided as a Result of
a Mold Inspection and Assessment .............................. 10
Corrective Actions ............................................................... 11
Who Should Clean up Mold ............................................... 11
Inspection Services Checklist ............................................. 12
Remediation ............................................................................ 13
Mold Remediation Checklist ............................................... 13
References ............................................................................... 14
Page 1
Mold Guidelines for New Jersey Residents
Purpose
The purpose of these guidelines
is to help New Jersey residents
understand mold basics, clean
up mold in a safe manner, and if
necessary, select a mold consultant or remediation contractor. These guidelines are intended for residential buildings.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has guidance for commercial and school
buildings available at
http://www.epa.gov/mold/pdfs/moldremediation.pdf.
Definition of Mold
Molds are fungi which occur naturally in the environment. Many
different species of mold exist in New Jersey. Molds help break
down dead materials and convert it back into organic matter
which can be used by living organisms.
How Molds Grows
Molds grow by digesting and destroying the material they grow
on. They can be found almost anywhere and
Molds digest and can grow on just about any material as long
as conditions are favorable. For favorable
destroy the
growing conditions, mold needs nutrients
building materials (oxygen and moisture) and a material to
grow on.
they grow on.
Molds reproduce by making spores. These
spores become airborne, both outside and inside of buildings. If
spores land on suitable material and conditions are favorable, the
mold will begin to grow.
Mold Guidelines for New Jersey Residents
Page 2
Appearance of Mold
Molds grow in colonies and growth may take on different shapes
and colors. Some molds may appear circular in growth while others may grow and spread
to cover an area. Molds
may appear brown, yellow,
green or black in color.
The appearance depends
on the species of mold
present.
Understanding Molds
Even though molds are everywhere, they may become a problem
when they begin to grow inside homes and buildings. Many building materials such as drywall, ceiling tiles and wood framing contain cellulose, which is a material on which molds can grow.
As molds grow on building materials they may become destructive. Molds may grow unnoticed, above ceilings, behind
walls, in attics and basements or
in crawl spaces. Molds can
cause staining of walls and ceilings and can begin to break
No Moisture = No Mold Growth
down the studs and joists of
buildings causing extensive property damage.
Excessive moisture is a key ingredient which causes molds to
grow. Sources of excess moisture may be plumbing leaks, leaking
roofs or windows, high humidity, flooding, or condensation inside
walls due to poor insulation.
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Mold Guidelines for New Jersey Residents
Health Concerns
It is important to remember, that individuals
should consult their physician if they suspect
they are experiencing health effects resulting
from mold exposure.
Individuals at highest risk:
ƒ Those who have a pre-existing health condition (allergies; lung
Conditions such
Common Health Effects Include:
as asthma or
• Allergic Reactions—
emphysema)
sneezing, nasal conƒ Infants
gestion
ƒ The elderly
Molds emit spores and chemi- • Irritation to the
Nose, Throat, and Respiratory
cals as part of their normal
Tract
life cycle and some individuals
• Asthma Attacks
may exhibit reactions when
• Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis
exposed to these materials.
Mold spores are microscopic
and, once airborne, can easily be inhaled. Spores may contain allergens that can cause irritation to the nose, throat and respiratory tract.
In addition to allergens, molds may emit microbiological volatile organic compounds (MVOC’s). These chemicals usually have a strong
and unpleasant odor and are associated with the musty smell that
individuals equate to mold being present. These chemicals, when
released into the air, can be inhaled, ingested or absorbed
through the skin. When inhaled, they can cause allergic reactions.
MVOC’s have also been linked to headaches, nausea, dizziness and
fatigue.
Note: Some molds may cause more severe reactions than others. If
you are experiencing severe reactions, that improve when you leave
the affected building, you should to speak to your Physician and a
consultant regarding the advisability of staying in the home, apartment or other type of building where the problem exists.
Mold Guidelines for New Jersey Residents
Page 4
Assessing Risks
There are factors that can be used to assess whether an increased health risk may be present.
These factors include:
ƒ Evaluating individuals for sensitivity
to mold (children, elderly and
those with previously
compromised health, are
potentially more sensitive)
ƒ The extent of mold growth
ƒ The condition of mold growth
Identifying Mold
Identifying mold in your home should always begin with a thorough visual inspection. An inspection can be done by a homeowner or a qualified environmental consultant.
Excess moisture is always a key ingredient in mold growth. Examine the structure for water leaks and other sources of excess
moisture. This is the first area to look for mold growth. Mold
grows well on building materials that contain cellulose. Therefore, all building materials that contain cellulose (i.e., ceiling tiles,
gypsum board, studs, wood products, etc.) should be inspected
closely for signs of mold growth.
Where to look for mold:
•
Any area where moisture is present or
flooding has occurred.
•
Basements, crawl spaces, attics.
What to look for:
Discoloration on walls or ceiling that
continues to grow or change color.
A pungent, musty smell.
•
•
Page 5
Mold Guidelines for New Jersey Residents
Basic Tips for Hiring a Consultant or
Remediation Contractor
ƒ Ask the company representative if their inspectors have had
any kind of specialized training for mold assessment work (see
Consultant Licensing, page 7).
ƒ Ask the contractor about
their history doing this type of
work and for references from
similar projects.
ƒ Obtain estimates from different companies, as they can
vary significantly. Make sure
that all contractors are bidding
on the same work. The estimate should be detailed and
include all of the services to be
provided. Services that may be
included are sampling, design, replacement, repair of any damages,
etc. Make sure the contractor comes to the job site rather than
giving an estimate over the phone. Be wary of an estimate that is
much lower than other estimates. A low estimate doesn’t mean
that the contractor won’t do a good job, but make sure you
check references and get a written, detailed explanation of what
will be done prior to the start of work.
ƒ Talk to each contractor and learn exactly what they will be
doing on the job. If something doesn’t sound right, get more information concerning the advisability of what will be done before
selecting that contractor. If you aren’t sure that the work complies with local building code rules, contact the local building code
office before allowing the contractor to proceed.
ƒ Find out what type of liability insurance the contractor has.
Ask what type of insurance it is, what it covers and the amount of
coverage. If you aren’t sure what the insurance covers, you need
to makes sure it covers mold or microbial work.
Mold Guidelines for New Jersey Residents
Page 6
Basic Tips for Hiring a Consultant or
Remediation Contractor (cont’d)
ƒ Take note of how the contractor responds to you during the
inquiry and bidding process. Did the contractor return your call
in a timely fashion? Did he or she show up on time? Did he or
she make an effort to address all your questions or provide resources which might address them? Consider your answers to
these types of questions before hiring a contractor.
ƒ A building cannot be made mold free. Avoid a contractor
who claims to make your home mold free.
ƒ Contact the Federal Trade Commission, Bureau of Consumer
Protection and the Better Business Bureau to find out if complaints were filed against the company. The contractor may also
be licensed to perform lead or asbestos work in NJ. You can
contact the licensing offices to find out if they have any workpractice violations in that industry. See References section (page 15)
for information on how to contact these offices.
ƒ Consider using a different company to perform testing as well
as remediation. Using the same company may present a conflict
of interest and should be avoided.
ƒ The consultant should provide a written inspection report
that includes a summary of all the areas inspected, the cause of
the mold growth, how to take care of the problem and any sampling results.
Services to Ask For
Request a plan to stop a water intrusion problem Before mold can be completely remediated, the
source of water should be fixed.
Do not simply
ask for mold
testing !
Request a plan to remediate the mold - Once the
water intrusion problem is fixed, the mold can be remediated.
This plan will be important when hiring a remediation contractor.
If testing will be done - Ask why it will be done, what type of testing
will be done, and what the testing report will tell you.
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Mold Guidelines for New Jersey Residents
Why is a Thorough Visual Inspection and
Assessment Necessary?
A thorough visual inspection and assessment is the
single most important procedure in obtaining information on the presence of a mold problem. A visual
inspection and assessment will examine areas that
may be impacted by water infiltration/leakage or excessive moisture and identify areas of mold growth.
Correcting a Water Intrusion Problem and
Developing a Mold Remediation Plan
If a mold problem is identified during the visual inspection, a plan
to correct the water/ moisture problem(s), along with a plan to
clean up the mold, will need to be developed and implemented.
Information obtained from a visual inspection can be used to help
a professional consultant in the following ways:
@Identifies the source of moisture so that it can be fixed prior
to attempting to eliminate the mold problem.
@Assists in the determining the extent of the mold growth.
@If necessary, helps to formulate
a mold sampling strategy (see
section entitled “When is Mold
Sampling/Testing Necessary?” to
determine if further tests are
advisable and/or necessary).
@Helps in the development of an
action plan to abate any mold
contamination.
@If the water that caused the mold,
contained sewage or other hazardous substances, additional
steps would be required in order to assess, clean and
decontaminate the area.
Mold Guidelines for New Jersey Residents
Page 8
When is Mold Sampling Necessary?
Please note: If a visual inspection reveals the presence of mold, additional
testing is not necessary.
Once a mold problem is identified, resources would be better
used to correct any moisture problems
and clean up mold contamination, rather
than for testing. However, if mold is not
found during a visual inspection and is still
suspected as being present, testing may
be necessary. The cost of doing the sampling should be considered when deciding
whether or not to conduct mold sampling. Testing should always
be performed by a qualified person (see Consultant Licensing,
page 7). Your Local Health Department may be able to assist you
or you should contact an environmental consultant who specializes in, or has experience in, evaluating mold contamination.
If mold sampling is necessary, samples may be collected from
building materials, dust or from the air and will help determine
the extent of the mold contamination. Collecting mold samples
helps a consultant determine the mold species present, concentrations and if mold is actively growing.
Sampling alone will not usually provide
all of the information needed to evaluate the extent of a mold and moisture
problem.
Page 9
Mold Guidelines for New Jersey Residents
Sampling Plans
When sampling is necessary, it
needs to be conducted in conjunction with an investigation. This provides an accurate assessment of existing conditions in the building. To
accomplish this, a specific plan for
sampling should be developed.
The best sampling plans are those
which are designed to sample in
areas of suspected mold growth and
should include information on why an area is sampled. Typical
samples that may be collected by the consultant include: Bulk,
Surface, Dust, and Air Samples.
Additional testing may include an evaluation of the relative humidity in the home and taking moisture readings of building
materials in suspected areas. Testing of suspected surfaces and
bulk samples of building materials may also be performed.
Mold Guidelines for New Jersey Residents
Page 10
Information Which Should Be Provided as a
Result of a Mold Inspection and Assessment
The results of the mold inspection and
assessment should be clearly communicated in a final report. The final report
should have three components: A summary of the inspection that was conducted; a summary of the mold conditions;
and a summary of the moisture conditions identified.
Each report component is described below:
Inspection Summary
•
•
Summarizes the scope of the inspection performed and specifies the areas which were inspected.
Details the techniques which were used to conduct the inspection and assessment.
Moisture Information Summary
•
•
Identifies the source(s) of water and/or moisture intrusion.
Specifies actions that need to be taken to correct any water
and/or moisture intrusion problems.
Mold Information Summary
•
•
•
Summation of the mold growth identified, including the specific locations, estimated size of the areas impacted and substrates affected by the growth.
The size of the areas affected by mold growth should be categorized into levels. This will help in developing a remediation
work plan.
Information on other contaminants that could be present
(especially from sewage leaks or floodwater)
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Mold Guidelines for New Jersey Residents
Corrective Actions
If a mold problem is found, steps need to be taken to address
such conditions. Remediation is necessary to prevent further
property damage and further exposures. Specific steps have been
outlined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency
(USEPA) to remediate mold contamination. These include:
@
@
@
Identifying and correcting the source of moisture.
Removing and/or cleaning mold contaminated materials.
Removing the mold and ensuring the area is completely
dry before performing any renovation or construction
work.
The USEPA also notes that it is important not only to kill the
mold but to also clean it up since even dead mold remains allergenic. See References section (page 16) for information on how
to contact the USEPA.
Who Should Clean up Mold?
Deciding “who” should perform mold remediation work is not
always easy. For small areas affected by mold growth (i.e., less
than10 square feet), a homeowner or building maintenance staff
(for apartments and condominiums) may
be capable of performing the work. For
larger areas (i.e., greater than 100 square
feet), a qualified contractor who has experience in mold or environmental contamination clean up should be hired. A
professional opinion should be sought
for affected areas that fall between 10
square feet and 100 square feet. See
page 5 for information on how to choose a contractor.
Mold Guidelines for New Jersey Residents
Page 12
Inspection Services Checklist
The Inspection
Q Get quotes from a few different consultants.
Q Select a consultant (see page 5 ).
Q Develop a contract for the work to be done.
Q Areas to be inspected for the source of excess moisture.
Q Areas to be assed for signs of mold, excess humidity or
excess moisture.
Q Will sampling be done? If so, an explanation of why
sampling will be done and a sampling plan (showing, how
many samples, where samples will be taken, etc.) should
be developed by the consultants.
Q If mold is found and finances allow, a remediation plan
should be developed to repair damage that caused water
intrusion, remove damaged items and building materials,
remediate mold, and determine what pre-contamination
levels the remediation contractor should meet for final
testing after remediation is complete.
Q Make sure a thorough visual inspection is conducted
before any sampling or remediation is done.
As a result of the visual inspection:
Q Determine the sources of excess moisture and what
needs to be done to repair the home and correct the
problem.
Q Determine if sampling/testing needs to be conducted, if it
does, what type of sampling, how many samples, cost, etc.
Once inspection, testing and sampling are complete:
Q Ask for the consultant to explain the report and interpret
the results.
Q The consultant should develop a plan to remediate the
mold.
Q At this time, you should begin the process to hire a mold
remediation firm.
Q Once mold remediation is complete, further testing should
be done to ensure that mold levels within the home are
back down to normal (determined prior to remediation).
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Mold Guidelines for New Jersey Residents
Remediation
Working with mold can be hazardous, so regardless of who performs the work, work practices that protect the workers as well as
the occupants need to be employed.
Workers need to be protected with gloves, a respirator, protective
clothing and goggles or some type of eye protection. Also, the
work area may need to be contained to prevent the spread of mold
to other areas.
As a service to the public, the NJ DOH maintains lists of some of
the companies that can assist in the evaluation of mold contamination and in mold remediation work. Consumers should educate
themselves to make sure the contractor they hire is qualified to do
the work . See page 5 for information on how to choose a contractor. See the link under “Trade Firms, Consultants and Remediation
Firms” on page 16 to locate the NJ DOH lists.
Mold Remediation Checklist
Get quotes from a few different contractors.
Select a consultant (see page 5).
Develop a contract for the work to be done.
Make sure you are aware of what will be done.
Make sure all porous items (ie. carpeting, paper items,
upholstered furniture, etc.) that have mold growth should
be removed and disposed of.
Q Remediation of contaminated structural components
should be done (the items to be remediated should be
specified in the remediation plan which was prepared by
your consultant).
Q Once mold remediation is complete, further testing should
be done to ensure that mold levels within the home are
within normal ranges. Speak to your consultant prior to
abatement regarding what levels will be consider safe for
re-occupancy.
Q Construction can begin to replace removed building
components.
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
Mold Guidelines for New Jersey Residents
Page 14
References
Pictures:
Some pictures are courtesy of Aerotech Laboratories and EMSL
Laboratories
Information:
• American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists,
“Bioaerosols: Assessment and Control” ACGIH, 1330 Kemper Meadow Drive, Cincinnati, OH, 45240, ISBN: 882417-291, 1999.
• New York City Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Disease Epidemiology, “Guidelines
on Assessment and Remediation of Fungi in Indoor Environments”, November 2000.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation, Indoor Environments Division, “Mold Remediation in
Schools and Commercial Buildings” EPA 402-K-01-001,
March 2001.
Contact Information:
NJ DOH Consumer, Environmental & Occupational Health Service, Environ. & Occupational Health Assessment Program
609-826-4950
NJ Department of Community Affairs, Lead Licensing
609-633-6224
NJ Department of Labor & Workforce Development, Asbestos
Licensing
609-633-2159
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Mold Guidelines for New Jersey Residents
References
Helpful Information on the Web:
NJ DOH
Trade Firms, Consultants and Remediation Firms:
http://www.nj.gov/health/iep/mold_ta.shtml
Additional Links:
http://www.nj.gov/health/iep/mold_links.shtml
FTC, Bureau of Consumer Protection
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/
Better Business Bureau
http://www.bbb.org/us/Contact-BBB/
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
http://epa.gov/mold/
NJ Department of Community Affairs, Local Building Code Offices
http://www.state.nj.us/dca/divisions/codes/publications/pdf_ora/
muniroster.pdf
Mold Guidelines for New Jersey Residents
Page 16
NJ Department of Health
Consumer, Environmental and Occupational
Health Service
Environmental and Occupational Health
Assessment Program
P.O. Box 369
Trenton, NJ 08625-0369
Phone: 609-826-4950
Fax: 609-826-4975
Website: www.nj.gov/health/iep